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Ariane 5 is in the launch zone for Arianespace’s year-ending heavy-lift mission with Star One D1 and JCSAT-15

The Ariane 5 nears completion of its transfer from the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building – where this heavy-lift vehicle received its two satellite passengers – to the ELA-3 launch zone.

The Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone has welcomed its seventh Ariane 5 for launch by Arianespace in 2016, with this heavy-lift vehicle ready for liftoff tomorrow with a dual telecommunications satellite payload: Star One D1 and JCSAT-15.

For the year-ending mission – and Arianespace’s 11th flight overall in 2016 – the Ariane 5’s payload lift performance is approximately 10,722 kg., which includes its two payloads, the SYLDA dual passenger dispenser system and integration hardware.

Both satellites on this mission to geostationary transfer orbit were built by Space Systems Loral (SSL), marking the second time in 2016 that two passengers from the U.S.-based manufacturer are orbited on the same Ariane 5.

Continuation of launch services for Brazilian & Japanese customers

To be deployed first during the 43-minute flight is Star One D1 for Brazil’s Embratel Star One. When operational at its geostationary orbital position of 84 to 75 deg. West, the satellite will extend operations in C-Band and bring new capacities in Ku-band for Latin America and Ka-band for Brazil.

Star One D1 complements the service provided by Embratel Star One’s Brasilsat B4 satellite, launched by Arianespace in 1994.

The second deployment of tomorrow’s Ariane 5 mission – designated Flight VA234 in Arianespace’s launcher family numbering system – is JCSAT-15. To be utilized by Japanese operator SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. from an orbital slot of 110 deg. East, it will relay the multi-channel pay TV service SKY PerfecTV! across Japan, as well as provide data transfer communications and maritime/aviation applications for the Oceania and Indian Ocean regions.

JCSAT-15 is a replacement for the N-SAT-110 satellite, which Arianespace orbited in 2000.

A larger version of the photo above is available for downloading in the gallery.

More details are available in the Arianespace Launch Kit for Flight VA234: